Easternmost point of the Arabian Peninsula, Ras Al Jinz

你有沒有試過這種經歷和感覺？

有一天，朋友把一本沒什麼人認識的小說介紹給你。你翻開幾頁後，竟意外地著迷。故事樸實卻深刻，角色真摯不造作，每一頁都像是在與你低聲細語。

後來你得知，這本小說竟然拍成電影了，而且是4D版本！但只在一間六千公里以外的戲院獨家上映...... 因為你實在太喜歡這個故事，加上你深刻理解書中的訊息與情感，於是收拾行李，遠赴千里，只為一場內心早已熟悉的重逢。

這正是我與「سلطنة عُمان 阿曼蘇丹國」的故事。

Have you ever fallen for a novel no one else seems to know?

A friend shares a little-known novel with you. You read a few pages and unexpectedly, you're captivated. The story is gentle but deep, the characters unpolished and the theme is inspiring. It feels like it’s speaking to you in a whisper.

Then you find out it’s been turned into a 4D film — but only shown in one cinema, 6000 km away from your place. Still, you pack your bags because you understand the story too well to miss it. You need to see it and feel it before your eyes.

That’s my encounter with سلطنة عُمان, the Sultanate of Oman.

سلطنة عُمان

阿曼蘇丹國 Sultanate of Oman

把書翻到「實景」的那一頁

起飛當天，在登機閘口看到「PC830 Muscat」的那一刻，我有點激動。沒想過，在心底想做很久的事情，終於可以活出來。到達阿曼，約見於他們提及過很多次的Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque見面。我親愛的學生們穿著在英國會引人注目的 Dishdasha（傳統男性阿曼民族服裝）迎接我，亦帶了一套給我穿。

我記得，還在英國時，他們說畢業回後第一件事就是要學車！果然，他們很多都很迅速地拿到車牌。當天六個學生開了四架車，還一字排開要我選坐哪架車，其中一個還自豪地說：「我Mr., 不要聽他們，請上我車。我三星期前拿到車牌，兩星期開媽媽的車在80km的路開120km/hr被拍快相，昨天開爸爸的車撞花了車頭！」由於這個學生專程開了四小時車出來為要帶我玩的緣故，我沒多想就「yallah」了！

他們開車帶我遊Muscat、帶我認識他們的好友、教我如何用手吃飯、帶我入他們在山上的村莊吃飯。途中，經過一家小店，賣阿曼甜點／小食－halwa。他們耐心逐一介紹每個不同味道的halwa，又教我到訪阿曼人家中是的dos and don'ts。

When the story breathes and speaks

The moment I saw “PC830 Muscat” at the boarding gate, I went very emotional. I felt a quiet dream was finally happening.

Upon arrival, we met at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the very place they had spoken of again and again in their writing homework. My dear students welcomed me by the mosque car park in their Dishdasha, the traditional Omani attire (males) that once stood out when they wore it on the streets in the UK. They even brought one for me.

I remember, back in the UK, they told me the first thing they'd do after returning to Oman was to learn to drive. And they really did, many of them got their licenses pretty quickly. On the day we met up, there were six of them, and showed up with four cars, lined up side by side and asked me to choose which one to ride in. One of them proudly said, “Mr., don’t listen to them, please hop on my car. I got my license three weeks ago, speeded in my mom’s car at 120 km/h in an 80km zone and got caught by a speed camera. Yesterday I scratched the front of my dad’s car.” Since he deliberately drove four hours from the mountains just to see me in Muscat, I didn't quite hesitate... yallah!

They drove me through Muscat, introduced me to their childhood friends, taught me to eat with my hands, welcomed me into their mountain village for a meal.

他們帶我去了一個wadi（峽谷之間的河谷），我腳下就是古阿曼發明的Aflaj灌溉系統（發明於500AD）。我在聽聞過很多次，今天終於親身看見！

They brought me to a wadi (ponds/streams in a valley), beneath me is the Omani-invented Aflaj irrigation system (invented in 500AD). I've heard of this many times in the UK, now I finally see it in person!

他們來英國的一年，就是第一次離開家庭這麼長時間。我問他們，這年有什麼感想；他們全部都說這是人生最正的一年。第一次出國生活、獨自生活、接著不同國籍的人、和異性一起上課、感受英式天氣。其中他們十分喜歡英國的生活，因為可以「自己」生活，因為在阿曼，沒有車就是等於跛腳－公共交通基本上是零。因為阿曼人是個很family-based的民族，生活模式都是很collective，當他們突然要在外地為自己作決定，而且生活少了很多「一起」的元素，所以他們亦覺得一開始在英國是有點迷茫，

我又問他們，如果可以再活一次這年，會有什麼改變嗎？他們都說應該要再大膽一點去到訪英國更多地方。因為他們大部分剛到英國是未成年，經常要經家長（遙距）批准才可以出遠門。而且，我也很明白，第一次在陌生的國度生活，留在家中的確有時會帶來一定的安全感...

For many of them, coming to the UK marked the first time they’d ever been away from home for such a long period. I asked them how they felt about their year abroad, and they all said it was the best year of their lives.
It was their first time living overseas, their first time living alone, studying alongside people of different nationalities and the opposite gender, and certainly, experiencing the British weather.
They especially liked the the "freedom" (as in they could travel independently by public transport) they had, because in Oman, no car = no travel, public transportation in Oman is almost non-existent. Life in Oman is very family-oriented and collective, so having to make decisions on their own and living without the “togetherness” they were used to made their early days in the UK feel a little confusing and disorienting.

I asked them, if they could live the year again, how'd they live differently. They said they wished they had been braver and travelled to more places in the UK. Most of them were under 18 when they arrived and often needed long-distance parental approval before going on trips. And honestly, I get it -- living in a foreign country for the first time, sometimes just staying the room feels like the safest option.

阿曼，其實不完美，卻又讓人安心

他們常說：「在阿曼，一切都很美好。」

我起初半信半疑。哪有完美的國度？我同事說他們來自一個「專制」的國家，當然從小只有被教育國家好的一面。但我又覺得，他們分享的是發至內心，我必須多做research以及親訪阿曼去判斷阿曼是否真的「美好」。

阿曼的治安和現代化發展令人敬佩。飛機一降落那刻，已經覺得阿曼很發達；機場十分整潔和現代、普遍資源供應能滿足人民需求、國民普遍感到幸福、普遍英文程度高、網絡速度和覆蓋率極高（我在3600米的山上和離開阿曼大陸1小時的小島也收到5G）。

讓我開始理解他們為何如此尊敬已故的領袖Sultan Qaboos－他從前帶領貧困和落後的阿曼革命性地轉化成一個發達的國度。即使我也曾遭遇一次旅人常見的小陷阱（我的車卡在沙中，被「幫忙」後收費），和曾經在英國認識過一位「來自阿曼」的難民，這些經歷也只是完整拼圖的一角：提醒我，旅人總要帶點善意的懷疑，也要學會用不同的視角觀看一地的多樣與矛盾。

然而，在阿曼的十天，我確實體會到那份「穩定與安全」的氣息——不喧鬧、不炫耀、不急促。不像鄰近其他的海灣國家，阿曼沒有一棟高樓大厦，亦沒有要擴展市中心這個概念，是發達得來又實而不華。我想，那就是阿曼獨特的「*伊巴德派伊斯蘭（Ibadi Islam）」所重視的簡單、謙遜、和平與穩定。

*伊巴德派伊斯蘭其中一個獨立的派系，與「遜尼派」或「什葉派」完全不同

Oman － Imperfect, yet reassuring

They always said: ‘Everything in Oman is great.’”

At first, I was skeptical. No country/place is perfect, right?

But the more time I spent there, the more I began to see what they meant. The public safety and pace of modernisation were impressive, people seem genuinely content with their government/leader/things in the country, English proficiency is generally fairly high, and internet speed and coverage are basically out of this world (5G reception in a remote island and on a 3000m peak)! I began to understand why most Omanis I met hold such deep respect for their former leader, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who revolutionarily transformed an impoverished people into a developed nation.

Yes, there were moments that reminded me Oman isn’t without its flaws. I once fell into a common travel trap—my car got stuck in the sand, and someone “helped” me out... then demanded payment. I also remember meeting a person in the UK, she was "a refugee from Oman". I reckon these aren’t contradictions but they simply part of the whole picture. Travelers ought to carry both trust and a healthy dose of doubt, and that studying a nation comprehensively means embracing its complexity.

Ten days in Oman, I felt something rare: a steady, quiet sense of peace. Nothing was loud, flashy, or rushed. It subtly echoed the values of Oman’s unique strand of Islam - *Ibadism, which emphasises simplicity, humility, and harmony.

*Ibadism, a branch of Islam, that is completely different from and separated to Sunni, or Shia

幾位經常上課無故傻笑但又認真的學生... 仍然不敢相信我們竟然會在阿曼重聚

A few girls who are serious about learning but would giggle for no reason during class... still couldn't get over the fact we reunited in Oman

之後幾天的自駕旅途中，我依循著他們為我設計的行程走，而每一站，都像是書中情節活了過來。；阿曼最高峰看日出、外島浮潛、河谷中游泳、沙漠觀星和看日出、在阿拉伯半島最東點找綠海龜、參觀各個堡壘、博物館、市集、皇宮與歌劇院…… 每當我終於看見和體驗到他們在英國講述的事物時，我都不禁「wow」幾聲和放下相機好好感受。更神奇的是，我在公路上駕車時，竟然看懂路牌上的簡單的阿拉伯文地方名和數字！

Over the next few days on my road trip, I followed the itinerary they had prepared for me, and each stop felt like a story from a book coming to life. From watching the sunrise atop Oman’s highest peak, snorkeling in the Gulf of Oman, swimming in river valleys, stargazing and chasing desert sunrises, to spotting green sea turtles at the Arabian Peninsula’s easternmost tip, and exploring forts, museums, markets, palaces, and the opera house…

Every time I finally experienced/saw what they had talked about in class, I couldn’t help but give a few “wows” and put down my camera to just be in the moment. And the most miraculous thing was, while driving, I could read and understood the Arabic place names and numbers on the road signs! 5-months of hard work got paid off!

從想像出發，到回憶為止

離開那天，我帶著朋友們送的伴手禮、爆滿的SD卡，以及兩個背包走到機場。我要離開這片飄著乳香的土地了。

從前只聽說過的事物，今天我都親身體驗了；
 從前遲到又曠課的學生，今天成了我的朋友；
  從前幻想過的國度，今天以最真實的面貌呈現於我眼前。

我想起聖經約伯記的一節，雖然語境和意思很不同，但也許能總結這段旅程：

「我從前風聞有你，現在親眼看見你。」

阿曼，我如今終於看見你。謝謝你讓我走進這本從口耳相傳開始、最後走進心裡的故事。

From Imagination to Memory

Return flight is due, my time in Oman has come to an end. I carried farewell gifts, a full SD card, and my backpacks. I left the land of frankincense.

What I once heard, I have now experienced
 Once whom I thought was a pain in the neck, now have befriended.
  What I once imagined, now has exhibited itself in its full and tangible form.

Not in the same sense, meaning or context, a verse from the Book of Job of the bible echoes in me:
“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”

Oman, I have seen you. Thank you for becoming a story not just told, but lived.

沒想到我在學期第一天，隨意設計的一個課堂熱身活動，竟在一年後成為我旅行的指南

✔ = 已完成 / 證實同意

半 ✔ = 完成（某程度上）

✘ = 還沒來得及去做

Little did I know I this random sheet I created as a class warmer on the 1st day of semester would become a guide for my trip a year after.

✔  = done / approved

Half ✔ = kind of done

✘ = haven't had the time to do so

旅後感

這次阿曼之旅是一趟超棒的旅行！這是一個令我令我心靈很滿足的旅程；見朋友、嘗試新事物、開長途車、以及還能親眼看到那些以前只聽過故事的地方。儘管我有不喜歡我工作／上司的地方，但它的確多次為我打開認識世界更多的一扇窗，這就成為了我每天上班的動力。

這個旅行亦是釋放我內裡「i人」的理想時機；請十天假，一個人飛到 6,000 公里外，流浪於一個連家人和朋友都不知在哪的國家，前一晚為要享受自己的「me time」而很晚睡，隔日清晨播著最rock的音樂再以第六檔開160 公里狂奔至沙漠的盡頭，登上全國最高的山峰，坐在峽谷頂的懸崖邊對著壯麗的平原看日出。

回想起幾年前，我是個沒主見、沒勇氣、不果斷、只有心裏想但沒行動、最後被困於後悔的人。感恩這幾年有的變化，我能夠有衝勁、好奇心、不理別人目光、勇氣和實際行動地登上飛往阿曼的航班，去把心底的想法無悔地活出來。

最後，我真的要極力推介阿曼！她不是個熱門的旅遊國家，亦沒有其他海灣國家的金碧輝煌和大城市，但她的美就是她壯麗的大自然、樸素的民風、極度乾淨的環境、國家整體的發展（大推Oman Across Ages Museum，一個配套和展覽極度完善的博物館，展覽阿曼由史前至近代的發展）。而且，阿曼的洗費不算高；十分企理市區3星酒店£22一晚、租車£240十天、油價便宜過水、一日兩餐大概£12左右、景點的入場費亦合理。如果有個旅伴，那些住宿和租車的錢是再除二！

Post-trip insights

It was a very good and unforgettable trip indeed, a trip that makes me feel so full and satisfied. Seeing friends, trying new things, loads of driving, and seeing things in-person that once were just stories and tales to me. My job/seniors might frustrate me at times, but they've given me the chance to see the world in ways I could never have imagined.

This trip was the ultimate adventure for the introvert in me: a week off work, flying 6,000 km from home, to a country where no friends and family could properly locate, staying up so late for the "me time" the night before, then scooting 160km on the 6th gear through the dessert with the rockest tune in the car to race time at dawn, and then doing nothing but sitting on the edge of a cliff watching the sunrise over the magnificent plains.

Looking back a few years ago, I was someone indecisive, timid, without initiative, someone who only thought about things but never acted, and ended up trapped in regret. I’m grateful for the changes these past years, that I now have the drive, curiosity, courage, and the ability to act without worrying about how others see me. Boldly I boarded that flight to Oman.

Finally, I must strongly recommend Oman! It is not a popular travel destination, nor has the glitter and big cities of other Gulf nations, but its beauty lies in its stunning nature, simple people, extremely clean environment, and the continuous development of the country (I highly recommend visiting the Oman Across Ages Museum, a very very well-designed and exhibited museum that showcases Oman’s development from prehistory to modern times). Moreover, Oman isn't that expensive: a neat 3-star city hotel for £22 a night, car rental £240 for ten days, unbelievably cheap fuel, around £12 for two meals a day, and very reasonable entrance fees for attractions.

شكرا عمان